Begonia plant named &#39;BKPBEEEBP&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Begonia  plant named ‘BKPBEEEBP’, characterized by its broadly upright to outwardly spreading and mounded plant habit; freely basal branching habit; dark green-colored leaves; uniform and freely flowering habit; and semi-double to fully double flowers with tepals and tepaloids that are bright red purple in color.

Botanical designation: Begonia×hiemalis.

Cultivar denomination: ‘BKPBEEEBP’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Begonia plant, botanically known as Begonia×hiemalis, commercially referred to as Elatior Begonia and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘BKPBEEEBP’.

The new Begonia plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Maasdijk, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program was to develop new freely branching and freely flowering Begonia plants with attractive double flowers.

The new Begonia plant is a naturally-occurring branch mutation of Begonia×hiemalis ‘BKPBEEEP’, disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 14/121,888. The new Begonia plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor on a single flowering plant within a population of plants of ‘BKPBEEEP’ in a controlled greenhouse environment in Maasdijk, The Netherlands in February, 2013.

Asexual reproduction of the new Begonia plant by vegetative tip cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Maasdijk, The Netherlands since May, 2013 has shown that the unique features of this new Begonia plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Begonia have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘BKPBEEEBP’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘BKPBEEEBP’ as a new and distinct Begonia plant:

-   -   1. Broadly upright to outwardly spreading and mounded plant         habit.     -   2. Freely basal branching habit.     -   3. Dark green-colored leaves.     -   4. Uniform and freely flowering habit.     -   5. Semi-double to fully double flowers with tepals and tepaloids         that are bright red purple in color.

Plants of the new Begonia can be compared to plants of the female parent, ‘BKPBEEEP’. Plants of the new Begonia differ primarily from plants of ‘BKPBEEEP’ in flower tepal and tepaloid color as plants of ‘BKPBEEEP’ have dark pink-colored flower tepals and tepaloids.

Plants of the new Begonia can be compared to plants of the Begonia×hiemalis ‘Dragone’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Maasdijk, The Netherlands, plants of the new Begonia differ from plants of ‘Dragone’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Begonia have lighter green-colored leaves         than plants of ‘Dragone’.     -   2. Flowers of plants of the new Begonia have fewer tepals and         tepaloids than flowers of plants of ‘Dragone’.

Plants of the new Begonia can also be compared to plants of the Begonia×hiemalis ‘Sweet Dreams’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Maasdijk, The Netherlands, plants of the new Begonia differ from plants of ‘Sweet Dreams’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Begonia have flatter tepals and tepaloids         than plants of ‘Sweet Dreams’.     -   2. Flowers of plants of the new Begonia are not fragrant whereas         flowers of plants of ‘Sweet Dreams’ are slightly fragrant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Begonia plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Begonia plant.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘BKPBEEEBP’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet are close-up views of upper and lower surfaces of typical fully developed flowers and leaves of ‘BKPBEEEBP’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants used for the aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements were grown in 13-cm containers during the winter in a glass-covered greenhouse in Maasdijk, The Netherlands. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 19° to 20° C., night temperatures ranged from 18° to 19° C. and light levels averaged 7,000 lux. Plants were 13 weeks old when the photographs and the description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2015 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification:     -   -   Begonia×hiemalis ‘BKPBEEEBP’. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring branch mutation of Begonia×hiemalis     ‘BKPBEEEP’, disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No.     14/121,888. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By vegetative tip cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About 20 days at temperatures about             25° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About 35 to 36 days at             temperatures about 21° C. to 23° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; typically light brown in             color, actual color of the roots is dependent on substrate             composition, water quality, fertilizer type and formulation,             substrate temperature and physiological age of roots; plants             of the new Begonia have not been observed to form tubers.         -   Rooting habit.—Moderate freely branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Broadly upright to outwardly             spreading and mounded plant habit; plant shape roughly             globular; freely branching with about three basal branches,             each with about five lateral branches, developing per plant;             moderately vigorous growth habit; moderate growth rate.         -   Plant height, soil level to top of foliar plane.—About 22.8             cm.         -   Plant height, soil level to top of floral plane.—About 27.3             cm.         -   Plant width.—About 32.5 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Length: About 12.3 cm. Diameter:             About 9 mm. Internode length: About 2.9 cm. Strength:             Moderately strong. Aspect: About 35° from the vertical.             Texture and luster: Sparsely pubescent; glossy. Color,             developing: Close to 152B. Color, fully developed: Close to             152A, at internodes, close to 178A to 178B.         -   Leaf description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length:             About 13.1 cm. Width: About 9.2 cm. Shape: Ovate. Apex:             Acute. Base: Oblique, slightly imbricate. Margin: Crenate;             strongly undulate. Texture and luster, upper surface:             Glabrous, slightly velvety; slightly glossy. Texture and             luster, lower surface: Sparsely pubescent along veins;             moderately glossy. Venation pattern: Laciniate. Color:             Developing leaves, upper surface: Darker than between 143A             and 146A. Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 146B             tinged with close to 177D. Fully expanded leaves, upper             surface: Darker than between 139A and 147A; venation, close             to 143A. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 178A             to 178B; venation, close to 144A. Petioles: Length: About             5.5 cm. Diameter: About 6 mm. Texture and luster, upper and             lower surfaces: Sparsely pubescent; moderately glossy.             Color, upper surface: Close to 152A to 152B; distally, close             to 178A and 180A. Color, lower surface: Close to 152B;             distally, close to 180A. Stipules: Quantity per leaf: Two.             Length: About 1.2 cm. Width: About 1 cm. Shape: Broadly             ovate. Apex: Obtuse. Base: Broadly cuneate. Margins: Entire.             Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 145B; apex, close             to 180C to 180D. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flowering habit.—Semi-double to double rotate flowers             arranged in axillary compound cymes; freely flowering habit             with about five flowers per cyme and about 425 flowers             developing per plant; flowers face upright to outwardly;             only sterile male flowers have been observed on plants of             the new Begonia.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants begin flowering about 44             days after planting; long flowering period, plants flower             freely and continuously from spring into the autumn in The             Netherlands.         -   Postproduction longevity.—Individual flowers last about ten             days on the plant; flowers not persistent; plants maintain             good substance for about 20 to 30 days in an interior             environment.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 12.9 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 8.7 cm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1.4 cm. Diameter, flattened:             About 1.5 cm. Shape: Broadly obovate to roughly circular;             flattened. Texture and luster: Glabrous, velvety; very             slightly glossy. Color: Close to 47C.         -   Male flowers.—Diameter: About 5.3 cm. Depth: About 1.7 cm.             Tepals: Quantity and arrangement: Four per flower, arranged             in two whorls. Length, lower tepals: About 2.8 cm. Width,             lower tepals: About 3.5 cm. Length, upper tepals: About             2.5 cm. Width, upper tepals: About 2.8 cm. Shape: Reniform.             Apex: Rounded. Margin: Entire; slightly undulate. Texture             and luster, upper surface: Glabrous, moderately velvety;             matte. Texture and luster, lower surface: Glabrous; slightly             velvety; lower tepals, slightly glossy and upper tepals,             matte. Color: When opening, upper surface: Close to 61C;             towards the margins, close to between 53C and N57A to N57B.             When opening, lower surface: Close to 52B. Fully opened,             upper surface: Close to N57A and 58B; color does not fade             with development. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to 52B;             towards the margins, close to 51A; color does not fade with             development. Tepaloids: Quantity and arrangement: About             three to 37 per flower, arranged in multiple whorls. Length:             About 1.1 cm to 2.3 cm. Width: About 5 mm to 2 cm. Shape:             Obovate. Apex: Rounded to shallowly cleft. Base: Attenuate.             Margin: Entire; slightly undulate. Texture and luster, upper             surface: Glabrous, moderately velvety; matte. Texture and             luster, lower surface: Glabrous, slightly velvety; matte.             Color: When opening, upper surface: Close to 61C; towards             the margins, close to between 53C and N57A to N57B; base of             smaller tepaloids tinged with close to 13A to 13B. When             opening, lower surface: Close to 58B; base of smaller             tepaloids tinged with close to 13A to 13B. Fully opened,             upper surface: Close to N57A and 58B; base of smaller             tepaloids tinged with close to 13A to 13B; color does not             fade with development. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to             58B to 58C; towards the margins, close to 53D; base of             smaller tepaloids tinged with close to 13A to 13B; color             does not fade with development.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 7.2 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm.             Angle: About 30° from lateral branch axis. Strength:             Moderately strong; flexible and bending with the weight of             the flowers. Texture and luster: Glabrous; moderately             glossy. Color: Close to 152B.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 1.8 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm.             Angle: About 35° from the peduncle axis. Strength:             Moderately strong; flexible, bending with the weight of the             flowers. Texture and luster: Glabrous; glossy. Color: Close             to 179A to 179B.         -   Flower bracts.—Quantity and arrangement: Two per flower,             opposite. Length: About 1.3 cm. Width: About 1.4 cm. Shape:             Roughly orbicular. Margin: Entire. Texture and luster, upper             and lower surfaces: Glabrous; matte. Color, upper surface:             Close to 144A tinged with close to 180B. Color, lower             surface: Close to 144A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: About             three to 37. Filament length: About 7 mm. Filament color:             Close to 25A to 25B. Anther size: About 1 mm by 0.5 mm.             Anther shape: Elliptic. Anther color: Close to 12A. Pollen             amount: None observed; sterile. Seeds and fruits: Seed and             fruit development have not been observed on plants of the             new Begonia. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common     to Begonia plants has not been observed on plants of the new     Begonia. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Begonia have been observed     to tolerate high temperatures of about 35° C. and to be suitable for     USDA Hardiness Zones 10 to 12. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Begonia plant named ‘BKPBEEEBP’ as illustrated and described. 